Jonathon Baggett

3rd College

Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook

Ordination Date: 2015

Birth Date: May 14

Home Parish: Saint Catherine of Siena (Wake Forest, NC)

High School: Saint Thomas More Academy (Raleigh, NC )

College: Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook (Philadelphia, PA)

Hobbies: Tennis, Painting, Reading, Video Games, Writing, Seminary Choir and Ultimate Frisbee

Who Influenced/Inspired you to Priesthood: Jesus Christ of course, and my pastor Fr. Phil Tighe has supported me all the way.

What would you say to a young man who thinks he may have a vocation: I would explain to him that the most important question that Christ asks the discerner is very simple. He stands in the doorway of our hearts and asks, "Do you trust me?" and if you have felt his call to the priesthood, take that step. The worst that can happen is that you discern that priesthood is not his will for you.

Favorite Scripture Passage: 1 Kings 2:2b-3 "Be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies as it is written in the Law of the Lord, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn." I love this verse becasue it inspires me to be a better man of God, condensing the Lord's commands into a simple and powerful message. Sure it's a hard message, but especially reading this in the light of the new testament we know that the Lord is faithful and will not give us a task too heavy for us and always walks with us down the narrow road that leads to salvation.

Favorite Saint: My Favorite saint is St. Lawrence of Rome because of his steadfast devotion and love for the Church. He was willing to give his life in exchange for the life of the bride of Christ. He was a deacon in the early church who was the treasurer for Pope Sixtus II, and both he and the pope were martyred by Emperor Valerian in 258 BC. When the emperor demanded that the Church give him all her treasures and St. Lawrence asked for a day to collect them. St. Lawrence quickly sold all of the treasures of the church and gave them to the poor, and when the emperor came for the treasure St. Lawrence showed him the poor people and said, "Here is the Church's treasure." Tradition has it that he was grilled to death and before he died he said "Turn me over I am done on this side." He was a true son of the Church, as well as a comedian, which is why I chose him as my Confirmation saint.

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